Fish Market in Negombo: How to Visit, Opening Hours and Prices

Description and Is it Worth Visiting

Fish markets are one of the main attractions in Negombo. There are at least two of them here: new and old. Without visiting them, your acquaintance with the city will be incomplete. However, you need to be prepared for the "piquant" fish smell even when approaching the markets, not very clean environment on and around the trading area, and attempts by local "hustlers" to scam you.

• New Fish Market in Negombo. North of the Fort on the embankment lies the new Fish Market. It's considered one of the largest in Sri Lanka overall. Besides its main purpose of selling fresh fish and seafood, here you can watch fishing boats arriving with their catch, unloading, and fish drying on the sand.

• Old Fish Market in Negombo. 1.5 km south of the new market there's the Old Fish Market. Essentially the same thing, only smaller in area and without the possibility to dry fish on the shore like the previous one. But in a way, the old market in Negombo is even more colorful and interesting, plus tourists don't drop by here as often as to the new market.

We visited both markets, and more than once, we liked the old one more. It looks less touristy, traders and fishermen are more friendly and willingly pose for photos themselves.

And at the new market there are many hustlers and sellers "spoiled" by tourist attention. As soon as you approach the new market, some local will likely approach you, start making friendly acquaintance and tell you about "baby sharks", barracudas and such, and lead you through the rows. In our opinion, you won't hear anything new or interesting from such "guides", but after the market tour he will ask you for money for the conducted "excursion". If you don't want such accompaniment, just say immediately that you don't need a guide, otherwise it will be very difficult to get rid of him later.

But to be fair, the new market is really bigger and more interesting, you can also take many beautiful photos here. Plus it also works longer than the old one, so you can come here even for lunch and still catch something. But the old market by about 10 am is almost completely wrapping up.

As for prices and whether you can buy fish, yes, you can buy fish. But mainly they trade wholesale here, and in most cases, at counters with large quantities of fish, they won't particularly talk with you. The scheme where you buy fresh seafood and they cook it for you right there, as on some other fish markets like the famous Jimbaran market in Bali, is not common here. Therefore, if you want to buy something, we advise buying not from counters but from small private sellers who sell their catch on the streets near the market directly from the ground, most often these are women. With them you can and should bargain. But you'll still have to cook the fish yourself, there's no cooking service here. You can try buying a barbecue grill and charcoal at the Coronation supermarket a few hundred meters from the market. But before buying fish, first check availability in the store, they might not be in stock.

The best time to visit both markets is early morning around 7 am, when you can see a huge variety of different types and sizes of fish and seafood displayed for sale. And to the pier at the old market by dawn arrives a huge number of fishing boats to unload their catch. Ideally, it's worth making the effort to wake up earlier and arrive at the market right at dawn by five in the morning.

You can come to the new market even in the middle of the day, but better in the morning too. Actually, a cool option is to arrive at the Old Market early in the morning, then walk or ride to the New Market, also visit the Dutch Fort there, and from there head on foot towards the tourist area, simultaneously getting acquainted with the few attractions in central Negombo.